A Fresh Winter
by Sir-Mercutio-McHuffer
Summary: As Severus lay dying on the Shrieking Shack floor, he looked forward to seeing Lilly again. The fates, however, have other plans.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** This hit me like a brick to the face when my dear friend Beloved-Stranger showed me a beautiful picture. Some of you may or may not be familiar with my HP OC Alexis, who is a much loved and tormented character of mine. Well, here she is in another very AU role.

This is completely un-betad and fresh off my brain.

So without further delay - I don't own diddly squat except my poor wee Alexis! ENJOY :D

**_Edit:_** Please note that this Alexis is the same character, but is not from the same timeline as My Last Breath or Before The Snow. There are a couple of tiny moments, small decisions changed, that diverge this Alexis from the path set out in My Last Breath.

**_Edit 2:_** Fixed Alexis' dimple. It was on the wrong cheek! Jeez, me and my consistency (or lack thereof...).

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><p>For the first time in no one knew how long, Severus Snape relaxed. There was nothing more he could do but lie there.<p>

Nagini's potent neurotoxin turned out to be a blessing in disguise. He could no longer feel the bite in his neck as it poured his lifeblood onto the dirty floor. He could not feel as his body shut down piece by piece.

Potter and Her beautiful green eyes had left to save the world, as he had been prophesised to do. The prophesy he had overheard. The prophesy he had reported. The prophesy that had killed Her. It was only fitting that he should die with its completion.

Maybe now that he had helped save the world he could sleep. Maybe now that he had suffered he could be with Lily, as she had promised all those years ago. Maybe now he could spend eternity in Her sweet embrace. Hadn't he earned that?

There was nought to do now but wait. He would sleep soon enough. And he would have his sweet dreams of Lily.

So he lay there. And closed his eyes.

As he waited for his heart...

...to...

...stop.

Light trickled through his eyelids. His sensitive ears could hear the pitter patter of tiny feet on hardwood floors. The bed dipped imperceptibly as little hands grabbed his own. He opened his eyes.

A cherub was beaming at him, with a gap-tooth smile and brilliant blue eyes. The sunlight from the open window caught her hair in a halo of gold. "Mummy says to get up," she said. He noticed she had a sharp little chin not unlike his own at her age. "The pancakes are ready!" She pulled again on his hand and skipped out the door.

He sat up with absolute ease, a summer duvet pooling around his waist. The smell of pancakes was _incredible_. He swung his feet over the side of the bed, noting the unfamiliar cotton pyjamas. He flexed his toes and watched them move. Everything felt good.

Severus pushed himself upright and opened the door the child had gone through. There was humming from the kitchen at the end of the hall. He padded towards the scent and sounds; the little girl was talking and a woman laughed. He pushed opened the door into the dining and kitchen area and was bathed in sun.

White hair flowed rampant down the woman's back where there should have been silken red. She was shorter, more voluptuous. When she turned around he could see her blue eyes mirrored in the child's, and a dimple in her right cheek from her smile. The dimple deepened when she saw him.

"Good morning, sleepy head. Your tea is just about finished brewing, how's your head this morning?" She placed a plate of pancakes at the head of the table and pulled the chair out. He couldn't make his feet move.

"Where's Lilly?" he blurted. This was all wrong. She stopped, hand resting on the back of the chair.

"She's been … gone for years," she said slowly, eyebrows drawing down. The little girl munched on her pancakes enthusiastically.

"If this is the afterlife, why am I not with Lilly?" She looked shocked. Honestly gobsmacked. The corners of her eyes pinched and her lips clenched into a thin line.

"I don't know what dreams you had, and I certainly didn't realise you had a _thing_ for my best friend," she said, voice tight. The little girl stopped eating and watched the two of them with bright eyes.

"Mummy, who's Lilly?" she asked.

"Not now, Freya." His mother's middle name. "Could you please take the cupcakes next door to Mrs Hernandez' house and play with Maxine for a little while?" The little girl nodded and hopped off her chair, wrapped her arms around a square container filled with cupcakes, and tottled out the back door.

"Please, sweetheart, have a seat," the woman said, lowering herself into the chair to one side of the table. His feet wouldn't take him there. "You went to bed early with a headache, which is very unlike you, and when I got up this morning you didn't rouse..." She looked at her hands clasped in front of her and played with her wedding band. He looked down at his left hand to see a matching one.

"I am dead." Severus reached the chair and dropped himself into it. "I'm dead and Lilly promised she would be here, and she's not." He jerked his hand away from her seeking one. She looked like she might burst into tears.

"You are not dead, and if I had known you were waiting for Lilly in the afterlife, I wouldn't have married you," she said firmly.

"I _died_ on the floor of the Shrieking Shack _alone_," he snarled, making her jump. She stared at him, her blue eyes overbright with tears unshed.

"No, Severus, you didn't. You haven't visited the Shrieking Shack since we went to Hogwarts, and we haven't visited Hogwarts since our wedding six years ago, don't you remember?" She was pleading now and her eyes were red.

"I don't even know who you are, how could I remember marrying you?" She did cry then, but the tears were silent. He felt nothing. She was not Lilly. She pushed away from the table and jerkily got up. She walked, stiff legged, to the fireplace on one side of the lounge, grabbed a fistful of powder from a china basin, threw it in the fire and stepped in.

He didn't know how long she had been gone. He couldn't really bring himself to care. This was not the afterlife he deserved, not after all the sacrifices he had made, not after _dying_ for her son. This was just not _fair_, damnitall. He slammed his hand on the table and pulled off the wedding band.

Beneath the band was a strip of pale skin – anyone looking could tell what had been there. His hand, on closer inspection, was less bony than it should have been. Less scarred. His left arm was clear – there was no mark. His shoulders and chest were also unmarred and better filled out than he remembered. It had been a long time since he had cared enough to really see himself.

The fwosh of fire distracted him from his examinations and he looked up. The woman emerged again, followed by another whoosh and …_ Albus?_

"Hello, Severus," he said, dusting off his robes as though this were the most normal thing in the world. "Alexis has informed me that you appear to be suffering from amnesia." Neither pair of blue eyes twinkled.

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><p><em>Pretty please review with chocolate sprinkles on top!<em>


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Chapter two is, alas, quite on the short side. But I felt Sev's little moment was the best place to finish this little portion!

This is entirely and completely dedicated to_ Beloved-Stranger_ (who's chocolate will soon be feeding my addiction!) and who both reviewed, and _Beloved-Stranger_ (mmm chocolate) and _HansGruberForever_ who favourited this. YOU MAKE ME HAPPY AND MY PLOT BUNNY LATCH ON TO MY LEG AND NOT LET GO!

This is completely un-betad and fresh off my brain. I don't own diddly squat except Alexis and, I just realised, Freya.

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><p>"<em>Hello, Severus," he said, dusting off his robes as though this were the most normal thing in the world. "Alexis has informed me that you appear to be suffering from amnesia." Neither pair of blue eyes twinkled. <em>

Severus began to shake. The woman, Alexis he had called her, rushed over to him and hovered, her hands clenched tightly to her chest. She looked at Albus with worry pinching her cheeks. Albus, in the flesh, his hand normal … he looked _healthy_. Severus looked down at his hands, the ones that had held the wand and had killed him, too. Whether knowledge or wand, he wielded the death of those close to him.

"Alexis, dear," Albus began. "Would you give us a moment? I believe this conversation should be between Severus and I for now." He smiled kindly to take away some of the sadness in her eyes, but she nodded and obediently walked out the door. She took a last glance at Severus as she shut the door. He couldn't read her expression.

Albus lowered himself into the chair to the left of Severus and steepled his fingers. "Now, Severus, why don't you tell me what you remember?" he asked. Brown eyes met ocean blue. Severus looked away first.

"I am dead, this can be the only explanation," he rasped. He moved his still-shaking hands into his lap.

"Why would you think that, Severus?"

"You are dead, I am dead, this is the afterlife."

"But I am very much alive, can you not see that?" Severus' lips drew back into a grimace.

"I _killed_ you after you _begged_ me to do it, I know just how alive you are not," he replied. Albus blinked in surprise. "The Dark Lord had me killed, and I died on the floor of the Shrieking Shack."

"I cannot say I follow you – you say you killed me and that I had asked you to do it. What were the circumstances?" Albus leaned forwards, and Severus noted faintly that he still smelled of lemon drops. There was no sweet undertone of death.

"You were injured finding the horocruxes." Albus looked faintly alarmed. "I did what I could to halt the decay but it would not stop for ever. Malfoy, that stupid child, was going to … you wouldn't let your death taint him so you begged _me_ to kill you, to leave his child's heart unburdened with murder!" His voice had raised, his hands were clenched on his knees, but he would not look at Albus.

"Then you are not the same Severus I have watched grow to marry his childhood sweetheart," Albus said flatly. "You have arrived, somehow, in a place where an entirely different set of events have occurred, and you have taken residence in the body of a much loved man who has never experienced the kind of torture you have." The rush of anger died and Severus' hands began to shake again.

"Then I am not dead, and this is not the afterlife." He felt deflated. All that effort _wasted. _ He couldn't even die properly.

"You are not dead, but I fear our Severus is," Albus said. "Alexis informed me he had retired with a headache. I am no medi-wizard, but I do know that two conscious cannot inhabit the same entity – one must have departed prior to, or have been forced out by, the second conscious. I believe the former to be the instance in this case." He paused and looked at Severus, face drooped with sadness. "I would not wish this on Alexis of all people." The aged wizard looked all of his years as he watched Severus, and all Severus could feel was a distinct feeling of being … well … he wasn't entirely sure what to call it. It was disappointment and bitter resentment mixed with an utter failure.

There was no Lilly. There was no happily ever after for Severus.

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><p><em>Pretty please review with chocolate sprinkles on top!<em>


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** Once again to _Beloved-Stranger_ who keeps me amused while I'm writing :D And to _duj_ - I hope he realises it too.

This is completely un-betad and fresh off my brain. I don't own diddly squat except Alexis and Freya.

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><p><em>There was no Lilly. There was no happily ever after for Severus. <em>

Albus stood and opened the door into what Severus assumed was the lounge. "Come, please, Alexis," he said as he peered through the doorway. Alexis pushed the door open further and looked at Severus, eyes red and puffy from crying. "Come and sit down." Albus took her elbow and gently led her towards the table and sat her down. He took the seat between the two.

"Please, Albus, what's happened?" her voice was husky from crying. "What has happened to my husband?" Her eyes begged acknowledgement from Severus. He sneered.

"Severus has ..."

"I am not your husband," he snapped. The woman crumpled. Albus gave him a sharp look as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"What he has so untactfully said is mentally, he is a different Severus," Albus explained, stroking Alexis' wild hair as she hid her face in his shoulder. "He is Severus, but he has lived through a very different life to ours, one that involved a very different series of events." She raised her head with a sniff and ran her hands over her face. Severus watched, fascinated, as the woman who had been pouring her heart through her eyes straightened up and turned to face him, shoulders back and chin up.

"Then what has happened to my husband?" she demanded, voice low.

"I am unsure," Albus said, watching her carefully. Severus' back stiffened at the look she gave him.

"What am I to tell Freya?" Her flat gaze levelled at both males in turn. Albus' face softened at the mention of the little girl.

"As much as you can that she will understand, the girl is remarkably perceptive," he said. Alexis lips twitched in a humourless smile. "And it would not do to lie to her."

"She is as fiercely intelligent as her father was," she intoned sadly. "And you are correct," Alexis said, addressing Severus directly for the first time since she returned to the room. "You are not my husband." She moved with grace as she stood and left the room. Both men watched her leave, both men held their breath. The door behind her snicked shut and they could breathe again.

Albus turned to the younger man. "She is a very dear friend to me, and I see her like a child of my own. I would be most appreciative if you would, at the least, continue in the role of financial support and not shirk the duties Severus shouldered."

Would his demands never cease?

He had asked him to spy. He had asked him to teach. He had asked him to remain teaching a subject where his _particular_ brand of knowledge would do _no good_ to preparing children for the war that was coming. He had begged him to commit murder. He had forced him into a situation where he was vilified while doing is best to not only not blow his cover, but protect the students. He had sent him, knowingly, to his death for mastery of the wand. And now, as he should be in his eternal rest, he dared ask him to shoulder the burden of an unknown woman and child?

Severus' chest heaved and, noticing the hard look on Albus' face, realised he had finally, after all these years, given Albus a piece of his mind. If only it hadn't been the wrong Albus.

"You inhabit Alexis' husband's body. If Severus had died, his estate would have kept her and Freya well. As he is not dead, for indeed, you stand before me, his estate will not. You may not appreciate what Alexis has done for Severus, but you will _not_ abandon or humiliate her because, by some twist of fate, you have found yourself in the place of her husband." Albus was furious and still so powerful. He did not have the cursed hand that had drained him in the last.

Severus sat back down and looked at his hands, brimming with frustration.

"I do not expect this to be the last time we discuss this. I will take Freya with me to Hogwarts for the day and will return her in time for her evening meal. Please let Alexis know," Albus said, temper bleeding away with the sun. He turned and stepped out into the morning, more alive than Severus could ever remember seeing him.

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><p><em>Pretty please review with chocolate sprinkles on top!<em>


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:** My apologies for the short chapters. This is so I can update more regularly than I normally do (to date it has been daily!) - already this is the longest and most updated fic I have ever written :D I'd also like to thank you for reading this. Seriously, you have no idea how ridiculously excited I get as the 'visitors' count goes up, especially as it gets down in the chapters.

As always, many thanks to _Beloved-Stranger_! I am looking forward to eating my delicious dark ghana peppermint Whittakers tomorrow...

_no-name_ - I am greatly heartened by your comments that the plot is new and interesting! As for the two realities - all will be explained as Severus understands more about his current predicament. I can, however, confirm that Dumbledore is _not_ involved.

AND ONWARD! This is completely un-betad and fresh off my brain. I don't own diddly squat except Alexis and Freya.

**_Edit:_** Fixed, now with dustpan and brush.

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><p>"<em>I do not expect this to be the last time we discuss this. I will take Freya with me to Hogwarts for the day and will return her in time for her evening meal. Please let Alexis know," Albus said, temper bleeding away with the sun. He turned and stepped out into the morning, more alive than Severus could ever remember seeing him.<em>

It took Severus several minutes to move. This was … beyond comprehension. His mind and stomach churned. The pancakes had gone cold. It would be impolite to eat the pancakes, anyway, as they had been made for a man that was not he.

The dining area was warm and inviting, tidy and organised yet filled with things that only emphasised what he was not. A wizarding photograph caught his eye and he moved to pick it up. It was … himself, smiling, planting a kiss on Alexis' cheek with the child, Freya, perched on his hip. He had never really seen himself smile. He never really smiled. There hadn't been anything to smile about in a very long time.

He padded into the lounge. The Jarrah timberworked floor bathed the room in warmth. Cream-white couches and a Burlington slate fireplace dominated the area, with scattered piles of books and soft toys covering a mahogany and glass coffee table. Similarly deep-red book cases lined one side of the lounge, books half-hidden by a couch. A glance over the spines showed muggle works – Rudyard Kipling being the only author Severus could recognise.

The fireplace mantle was home to cards, drawings, little statues of cats, and above that … This Severus had a blessed existence. It was a photograph, a stationary muggle image, of himself and Alexis on their wedding day. He was struck with jealousy. Here was a man who could smile, whose eyes could fill with joy, and beside him was a woman in love.

It stung.

Shattering glass and a cry broke his thoughts. His feet were already carrying him out of the lounge and down the hallway. His hand wrenched open an unnoticed door and he hurtled through. He finally stopped himself at the foot of the stairs, at the entrance of the most immaculate and perfectly laid out potions laboratory he had ever seen.

The cause of the smash was easy to see – a glass vial of lavender flowers had shattered on the marble floor leading into a back room. Alexis, head bowed and arms wrapped around her stomach, slumped on the edge of a freshly made bed, staring at the mess. Severus edged forwards until his toes nearly touched the purple petals.

"I'm sorry," Alexis muttered. She pulled a dustpan and brush out from under the cupboard and quickly whisked up the glass and flowers and pushed the cabinet door shut. "I've prepared a bed for you down here, I hope you don't mind." Keeping her head low – an attempt at hiding the fresh tracks down her face – she brushed past Severus and ascended the stairs.

"Thank you," he said to the empty room.

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><p><em>Pretty please review with chocolate sprinkles on top!<em>


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** This is just so much fun. Although I won't be updating quite as regularly during the weekdays, mainly because my job devours all of my time and most of my energy.

_Cinnamin _- I know, right? And this is my Alexis. She is not pleased and certainly won't take it lying down.

This chapter was brought to you by Whittakers Chocolate - courtesy of _Beloved-Stranger_.

This is completely un-betad and fresh off my brain. I don't own diddly squat except Alexis, Freya and Terrence (AKA Terry).

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><p>"<em>I've prepared a bed for you down here, I hope you don't mind." Keeping her head low – an attempt at hiding the fresh tracks down her face – she brushed past Severus and ascended the stairs. <em>

"_Thank you," he said to the empty room._

It was some time later that Alexis returned with clothing. She was silent, and left before Severus could speak to her. He dressed in the provided cotton shirt and the black wool pants. He threaded the belt around his waist and brushed his hands down the front of his shirt. These were finely tailored clothes, something he had never afforded on a teacher's salary.

"You hold yourself differently to him, you know," Alexis said. Severus whipped around – she had crept up on him. She was carrying a tray of food and tea, which she placed on the marble-topped bench that sat in the middle of the laboratory. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes as she watched him. "You are not a happy man."

"I have no intention of divulging my life story," he growled. Her eyes flashed.

"I do not want to know you," she snapped back. "It is good that you are so unlike him. I don't look at you and see my husband; I look at you and see a miserable git." She turned and fled, leaving Severus fuming.

The smell of bacon and eggs did much to diminish the anger. The woman had a temper on her, but she had still gone out of her way to cook another breakfast for a stranger. So he pulled up a stool and checked the strength of the tea – it smelled incredible – before pouring himself a cup.

She had even brought his wand down. It sat inside a finely detailed leather hip-holster. He had never worn one himself: the time taken to draw was unacceptably long. He had survived because of his quick draw.

Long fingers brushed against the dark bocote. It was identical to his own. A tingle crept up his arm. The wand had recognised him.

He brushed it aside and returned to his meal. The tea was improved by a sprinkling of brown sugar. It was not a blend he had ever tasted, but it was very pleasant. The bacon and poached eggs were on a thick sourdough bread. Quite delicious.

Severus placed the tray on one of the benches that lined the walls, out of the way and out of the working area. The flooring was an unfamiliar long beam golden timber. The benches were built into the floor in the same timber, cupboards and draws with darkened brass handles dotting the sides. Every bench top was a pristine white marble – carrara if he could hazard a guess. The central bench curved around a raised burner and cauldron. Behind that was a door and, on either side, little windows. He peered out.

Fury tingled up his spine and settled at his breastbone.

Neatly tucked within a volcanic rock boundary was well stocked herb garden. It had nearly every common ingredient laid out in neat little rows, and many more besides. Asphodelus fistulosus, asphodelus macrocarpus _and_ asphodelus albus!

Beyond the garden wall rolled green hills. In the distance lush trees embraced a twilight sky.

Severus drew himself away. It was all _perfect_ and it was all _His_, that other Severus with everything. He snarled and yanked open a draw, intent on finding something, _anything_, because surely the man must have been doing something before he karked it.

But there were no papers in the central bench's draws. Just neatly stacked ingredients, implements, various knives and chopping boards in all sorts of materials. The rage trickled down the backs of his eyelids.

He tore around the outer benches, still nothing. Infuriating! Tucked in one corner, hidden by a towering shelving set, grew a corner desk with neatly stacked piles of paper. Severus' fingers twitched into a pile and withdrew a handful of scribbled notes. It was his spidery handwriting.

_Rosemary_ was one notation, and beside that, _carnosic acid_. Pages of scrawls, numbers, drawings of various plants with written ponderings of how best to slice, dice or mince them. He lowered himself into the chair. He intended to utilise carnosic acid for … what? The scribbling was so rough he couldn't read his own handwriting.

He never heard the window snick shut, but he certainly heard the soft _thud_ and a rasp of scales on wood. The hair on the back of his neck stood and his hands convulsed in the paper. His heart pounded. His neck burst with pain. Those red eyes...

Severus' eyes focussed on the snake, wriggling its way up the stairs. A feathery mane of molten red bled into a head of iridescent blue and a body of blues, greens and an underside of vibrant yellow. Coiling up the stairs, it was easily twice his length and nearly as wide. It opened the door and slipped through.

His breathing had caught in his throat and he let it out in a rush, sucking in fresh air. His head buzzed from the adrenaline. He threw the papers to the desk behind him and rushed after the snake, snatching up his forgotten wand. His feet were silent on the stairs, down the hall, and into the dining room.

Alexis bent over in front of an open oven, the sweetness of a baking cake mixing with the heat pouring out. The snake was coiled, its fat body about her waist and its head resting over her shoulder. She combed her fingers through its feathery ruff and shut the oven door.

"Oh Terry," she said, turning her head into its neck. Her tears dropped onto the red feathers and mottled them rust-coloured.

Severus withdrew and, ever so quietly, descended the stairs to the potions laboratory.

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><p><em>Pretty please review with chocolate sprinkles on top!<em>


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:** I actually don't know how I am churning this out right now. This chapter was brought to you by Whittakers Dark Ghana Peppermint Chocolate - courtesy of _Beloved-Stranger_. YES, IT SURVIVED THE FLIGHT OVER THE DITCH!

This is completely un-betad and fresh off my brain. I don't own diddly squat except Alexis, Freya and Terrence (AKA Terry).

**AAN:** Now fixed my awesome mix up between 'Snapes' and 'Princes'. HUZZAH!

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><p>"<em>Oh Terry," she said, turning her head into its neck. Her tears dropped onto the red feathers and mottled them rust-coloured.<em>

_Severus withdrew and, ever so quietly, descended the stairs to the potions laboratory._

He remained, hidden, in the potions laboratory. The door at the top of the stairs remained slightly open. When Alexis removed the cake from the oven, he smelled it. When Terry slipped past the door, he heard it. When the door creaked open and Alexis descended, he felt it.

Feigning single minded interest in the content of the notebook in front of him, Severus watched Alexis with his periphery vision. She kept her head averted and would not look at him. She did not even glance at him. She positioned a fresh tray with tea steeping in a pot and a large, triangle-sliced sandwich on the central bench. She withdrew carrying the breakfast tray, her fluffy pink slippers making quiet scuffs on the stairs.

He was struck with the thought that he had never seen her use magic. Nor did she appear to be carrying a wand. Had he … had this other him actually _married_ a _muggle_? A knot of discomfort settled in his stomach. That would explain why everything upstairs was so … unmagical. She would still have muggle friends and family she no doubt saw regularly.

Had there been no witches willing to marry a clearly wealthy man? He wasn't disfigured, and with a better complexion than he himself had ever had, the Snape nose was not as … ugly. He'd never be particularly attractive but there were always witches prepared to look past such things for blood lines and wealth. The Princes were an old and prestigious wizarding family in their own right, certainly a line a sensible witch might align herself to.

Albus had said Alexis had been his childhood sweetheart, the other Severus' childhood sweetheart. She must have been from one of the neighbouring houses at Spinners End. He couldn't recall a blonde girl in the area, and while he had never wanted to be around people, they were fascinating to watch. There was a little girl who had lived three doors down with brown hair and a face not dissimilar to what hers could have been at that age. He could not recall the colour of her eyes.

His eyes returned to the notes in front of him when he heard a girl's voice laugh and the murmur of a woman's voice in return. Albus appeared at the doorway.

"Ah, Severus." He approached the study desk, Severus watching him carefully. "Poppy has sent me with her shopping list." With a flourish, Albus presented him with a long parchment of potions. "She would like to be well stocked before the year begins, terms as per your usual contract." Those damnable blue eyes twinkled. "And for completeness' sake, here is a copy of your usual contract for procurement of potions for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Another parchment was presented, both of which Severus took with a deep scowl.

"I had hoped to be done with menial jobs in death," he growled. Those twinkles just twinkled brighter. A day with the child had done too much towards turning this Albus into the Albus he knew. The one who enjoyed poking him this way and that, forcing him to attend _Christmas Parties_. He hoped this Albus did not have quite the same perchance for plying the ladies on staff with eggnog and strewing mistletoe about the edges and corners of the room. Severus had barely escaped with his lips unmolested when Rolanda had spotted the plant above his head.

"I am sure you will find your other contracts much more fulfilling," Albus said brightly as he left the way he had come. Severus waited until there were only two voices upstairs before opening the contract.

It was, indeed, a contract for Grand Potions Master Severus Snape to fulfil specific requests from Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry four times a year, with provision for additional requests throughout the year for an additional fee. These fees were … well they were bloody reasonable. Expenses of ingredients were refunded on the condition that he utilise the fresh ingredients from his own garden, which would explain the abundance of common herbs, and source other ingredients locally or through his contacts. There was even provision for emergency specialised potions making at a rate of … Severus' eyebrow twitched. This man was being paid far better than his teachers salary for a _full year of work_. He was also a _Grand_ Potions Master, a title given to very few men and even fewer women who had dedicated their entire _existence _to potions.

He closed his eyes and pinched his brow ridge. The more he learned about this man the more he hated him. The gap between their lives was immense. He had done _everything_ to deserve this and had received none of it.

"Daddy!" the little girl called. She stood in the hallway outside the laboratory. "It's afternoon tea time!" she giggled and ran down to the kitchen, feet slapping unevenly on the hardwood floor. His scowl deepened. Bugger this all. He shut the door firmly and returned to the desk and notebook.

He had to understand the man's research. He was trying to do something. There were moments of excitement where his notes were merely squiggling lines on the page from haste. It had to have been something great. It had to be something incredible.

He would finish it and take that greatness for himself.

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><p><em>Come on guys, review! I needs me some lurvin!<em>


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:** I'm really sorry this is short and that it took me so long to get out. But there will be lots more! Oh hohoho I cannot wait for you guys to see what I've planned for these guys.

Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, you have made me giddy with joy (figuratively, although I did giggle and do a little jig!).

This is completely un-betad and fresh off my brain. I don't own diddly squat except Alexis, Freya and Terrence (AKA Terry).

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><p><em>He had to understand the man's research. He was trying to do something. There were moments of excitement where his notes were merely squiggling lines on the page from haste. It had to have been something great. It had to be something incredible.<em>

_He would finish it and take that greatness for himself._

The door creaked open and footsteps tapped the stairs. Alexis carried a full dinner tray into the laboratory. It was some kind of bread wrap around salad and strips of beef. Beside that was a bowl of freshly cut fruit with a blot of yoghurt on top, and a little snifter of some kind of dark alcohol.

The little girl was standing in the hallway outside the door, peering in. "Why is Daddy having dinner down there?" she asked. Alexis gave him a cutting look.

"Daddy is very busy with research right now." The put the tray down a little more forcefully than before. "Go wash your hands and sit at the table, we'll be eating shortly."

"Okay Mummy!" the little girl galloped off to do as she was bade. Alexis fixed him with another quelling look – his eyebrow raising with his sneer in response – and left, taking the lunch tray with her. She did not close the door behind her.

He heard the scraping of chairs as the child and her mother settled for dinner. The child was excitedly regaling her adventures with 'Aunty Minnie and Unka Alby' earlier that day. He must have, some time after finishing Hogwarts and returning to Spinners end, introduced Alexis to them. She was remarkably comfortable with the wizarding world, given her late introduction to it.

She couldn't be a squib. She had to much confidence in her self for that.

But what of the child? She would be powerful – his Prince blood would guarantee that. He himself had been relatively late to show incidents of magic, something that relieved his mother to no end. By that age she could instruct him to hide it from his father. But this girl would not have that disadvantaged start in life. She was already deeply entrenched in the wizarding world, mind alight to the beauty of magic.

He could be glad for that, at least. He could be glad that, somehow, the Prince line was continuing. He would just have to accept that it was not _his_ Prince line. He had no aspirations towards fatherhood, not once Lily had gone.

The clinking of utensils continued, conversation going quiet as they ate.

He closed his eyes, and for a moment, he let the sounds of a family wash over him. Someone else's family. He took a slow breath in and returned his focus to the notes in front of him.

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><p><em>Please review! I will less than three you!<em>


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: **This one took a little longer because I had to do a bit more research. While not everything is scientifically proven to have the specific effects I will be claiming they will, some of them _have_ shown significant promise in some areas relating to Severus' research. I'm not going for entirely plausible here, but I'm trying to stick as close to reality as possible where I can.

Also it infuriates the crap out of Severus that he has no idea wtf carnosic acid is. And this amuses me.

And to the lovely _cinnamin_ - I look forward to what your weapons of choice are going to be as the future chapters unravel.

This is completely un-betad and fresh off my brain. I don't own diddly squat except Alexis, Freya and Terrence (AKA Terry).

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><p><em>He closed his eyes, and for a moment, he let the sounds of a family wash over him. Someone else's family. He took a slow breath in and returned his focus to the notes in front of him. <em>

The first cracks appeared that night. He had listened while Alexis cleared the table and did the washing up, while the child prattled on and on and tromped around. He had listened to the shrieks and giggles and the splashes of bath time, and the quiet murmurings of bed time.

And then he had listened to the crying and the mother's soothing croon. Listened as the cries briefly elevated to wails that crept into his gut and rolled. But slowly, eventually, the child cried herself to sleep. He didn't hear Alexis until she was safely in the kitchen, where she let out a tremendous and shuddering sigh.

So he listened while she pottered about. Terry rasped past the door and into the kitchen. He listened as she walked down the hallway and paused outside the door for a moment. He held his breath, but she continued into the bedroom at the other end of the hall. He exhaled, relieved, and turned his attention to the diagram he was currently puzzling over.

It was of three complete hexagons, five incomplete hexagons, and two … well, they could only be described as lines. '_HOOC_', '_HO_', '_OH_' and '_H_' were scribbled around it. Below it was once again scrawled '_carnosic acid_'. He had never come across anything quite like it.

Putting that parchment into the 'puzzle through' pile, he turned to a rather fine diagram of the leaves and stem of _Rosmarinus officinalis_ and _Salvia officinalis_. Underneath was the notation 'dried 1.5-2.5%'. On the other side of this was a diagram of a bisected _Artemisia absinthium_ flower. On another page he had scribbled something that looked like '_Flavoroids_' and beneath that, '_Chamomile_', _'Wormwood_' and '_Chahua_'. He put that in the 'puzzle through' pile, as well. There were words here, diagrams with more hexagons and circles, that he just did not understand, and it was just bloody irritating.

With an agitated huff he slammed open the top compartment and grabbed a … _book_? Bound at the top with some kind of glue-like substance, the paper was blank but for the lines running across it, spaces between just big enough for his scrawl. He stared at it for a moment. It was a very logical way of saving paper – writing on parchment required leaving enough room between the written lines to differentiate between the two, whereas this paper has lines drawn across it to provide easy visual cues as to the different rows of writing. He huffed again. Perhaps this other him had invented _this_ as well.

He dropped the pad of paper onto the desk, shut the top compartment and picked up what he presumed was, and was proven correct to be, a writing device. The ink dispensed from a rolling ball set in a small metal nib – quite ingenious, and very quiet to use. Much quieter than the scratching of a quill on paper. It was time to start taking notes.

Picking up his 'puzzle through' pile, he noted in very clear writing the words he had never come across. Some of them he could only guess at their spelling, others were readable. '_Macerate Brassica oleracea as enz. myrosinase trf glucoraphanin to sulforaphane_' was a particularly interesting one. Clearly macerating broccoli produced the desired reaction – but what? He had never in his potions career come across any particular use for _broccoli_ of all things.

There appeared to be a few trends with these herbs – there were a lot of anti inflammatories, a number of regenerative herbs, some stress relievers, and an anti-depressant or two. But no matter which way he stuck them in his brain he just could not get a clear picture of the desired end result of the concoction.

The door creaking open at the top of the stairs stopped him part way through writing the word '_docosahexaeonic_'. He looked up and watched as Alexis, wrapped in a fluffy pink gown and pink bunny slippers, descended. Her eyes were bloodshot and her face puffy. Her hair was scraped into a tight bun. A white scar traced her left cheekbone, splitting in two, one part curling down towards her jaw, the other continuing up her cheekbone.

He knew the papery look of an old scar. His body was criss-crossed with them.

She picked up the dinner tray and, with a brief glance in his direction, left again. The dark alcohol, once sniffed, had proven to be a brandy. His hand reached for the snifter as he watched her leave – alcohol would dull the heaviness he felt. He took a sip and let the golden drink drip down the back of his throat and warm his belly. Like everything else in this damned house, it was a brandy of outstanding quality, and no doubt outstanding expense. He knocked the rest of it back before his constantly simmering irritation could surge again at the reminder of just how different these two parallels were. Just how infuriating, unfairly different.

The door snicked shut and he was left, a quietly dulled and miserable man, alone in a stranger's potions laboratory with a stranger's research and all the time he had wished he had and now wished he did not.

It was funny, in a horrible way, the kinds of tricks fate played when one wasn't looking.

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><p><em>Like it? Love it? Review it! <em>


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: **This research is absolutely fascinating! Seriously, can't wait to get into it more. I have an entire separate document dedicated to this research. A bonus cookie if anyone guesses it before Severus figures it out! My immense thanks to _Beloved-Stranger_ who gave me the idea for the research.

To the incredible _DZAuthor AKA DZMom_ and_ cinnamin_ - you two spoil me, so much. Your reviews are my brain food! I am very interested in hearing your thoughts and musings, and it heartens me so much to know that what I my characters are trying to get across _is actually getting across_.

And without further ramblings, ONWARDS!

This is completely un-betad and fresh off my brain. I don't own diddly squat except Alexis, Freya and Terrence (AKA Terry).

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><p><em>It was funny, in a horrible way, the kinds of tricks fate played when one wasn't looking.<em>

Six am rolled around too quickly for Severus' liking, and he awoke and stared at the ceiling, trying desperately to remember the feeling of running his hands through the silken red hair of his dreams. He squeezed his eyes shut, but the feeling was lost. The golden ceiling beams reminded him all too much of this unwelcome life he found himself in.

He pulled himself into a sitting position. He lowered his torso and raised it again, analysing the strength the body contained. There were none of the familiar twinges in his joints, no scars down his chest. His skin had good elasticity and, he noted with a sneer, his hair was not as lank and greasy. Everything about this body was youthful and healthy, while his had been ill used and abused.

Injustice upon injustice.

With a growl he launched himself from the bed and shoved the door open into the potions laboratory proper. He blinked. His body clock said 'six am' but the sun was dipping into evening outside. That bloody snake was coiled at the foot of the stairs. It raised its azurite head, gold eyes watching him – they weren't red. It turned and hissed up the stairs and waited, expectant, head raised to the doorknob. Stupid thing couldn't turn it, and Severus sure as everything wasn't going anywhere near the snake to open the door for it.

So he dressed himself in yesterday's clothes and sat himself at the desk. He flicked back through his notes from last night, bringing the content to the forefront of his mind. He could ignore the snake enough to get on with reading the notes.

Next on his list was '_ginsenoside Rg1, Rg2_' and beside that '_Panax ginseng – inc hippocampal synaptophysin lvl, anti-apoptosis_'. He flicked to the next piece of parchment. It was a diagram of the leaves of the ginko biloba tree. '_Ginkgolide_' and '_bilobalide_' was written beneath.

The hairs on the back of his neck raised as peacock green and blue and red slipped down the stairs. Its head raised above the end of the bench and its tongue flicked out, tasting the air, tasting his fear. Its eyes weren't red. They were gold. It raised itself higher and on to the counter, slowly twining itself across the carrara marble. He shoved himself away from the desk and backed up to the other side of the room, fingers clenched around the edge of the bench top.

Its head snapped around to look a the door. Severus could hear the doorknob turning. The snake dropped to the floor and threw itself up the stairs in time to dart between Alexis' feet and into the house proper.

It was gone. His fingers released the marble. Alexis stepped down, carrying a tray of breakfast that made his stomach rumble. Her pink bunny slippers touched the floor and she finally met his gaze. Dark bruises stood out against her palid skin. Everything from her brow to her cheekbones was swollen.

"You look like shit," he commented blandly. Her eyes burned dark.

"Oh thank you so much, Severus," she ground out, slamming the breakfast tray onto the benchtop. The glass of orange juice wobbled precariously, sloshing its contents onto the bacon and scrambled eggs on toast. "I have been up all night waiting for a fucking miracle, which clearly never amounted, as you are still here instead of my husband!" She jerked her fingers through her hair and let out a frustrated scream as she hammered up the stairs and slammed the door behind her. Severus' jaw twitched.

"The feeling is mutual," he snarled at the golden wood of the door.

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><p><em>Like it? Love it? Review it! <em>


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: **Look guys, a real chapter! It has more than 3 words in it!

_smell1it1gently_ - you are correct in this, for the most part. It affects other functions as well. You still get a cookie, though!

_DZAuthor AKA DZMom_ - apologies, I was supposed to be referencing the dark bruising under her eyes and just forgot to add those extra words :D I will fix that.

_cinnamin_ - Severus may be a prat, but he is an observant prat.

Once again absolute gratitude for the reviews. I LOVE the feedback!

This is completely un-betad and fresh off my brain. I don't own diddly squat except Alexis, Freya and Terrence (AKA Terry).

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><p>"<em>The feeling is mutual," he snarled at the golden wood of the door.<em>

He couldn't concentrate. This had never been a problem for him before, and in more dangerous situations than his current predicament. One did not spy on a dark lord without some ability to keep one's head in any situation that may arise. The ability to think immediately after _cruciatus_ was what had kept him alive. So why could he not pin the words down on the page in front of him? The words were ones he knew he should understand but they just would not sink in.

And this indigestion. It was like a rock had settled in his gut. A large and lumpy one at that. It could be the food – he was not accustomed to eating such quantities, or such quality. He was used to the bland, boiled, somewhat gelatinous foods often served at the staff table. Pressure cooked brussel sprouts were a favourite of Minerva's, and so the table would often have an infinitely more appealing dish substituted out in favour of the green … vaguely spherically shaped goop she would devour with relish. He shuddered at the memory.

So he opted for drinking the orange juice and plucked out the unjuiced toast from beneath its pile of bacon and egg. Keep it simple and small. A dose of chamomile, peppermint, ginger … and it wouldn't hurt to add a spot of valerian, all things any sensibly stocked potions laboratory would have on hand and in quantities, and the indigestion would disappear.

As he munched through the piece of toast he opened the glass-doored cabinets in the makeshift bedroom. Every jar was clearly labelled, the shelves arranged alphabetically by their latin names. This was clearly the herb cupboard. Dried _pulmonaria officinalis_ flowers sat beside its dried seeds, all labelled in his handwriting.

He pulled down the jar of dried _matricaria recutita_ flowers, _mentha piperita_ leaves, and macerated dehydrated _valeriana officinalis_ roots. He could not, however, locate any _zingiber officinale_. There was a small space where both the young and the old rhizomes would sit in jars. There was even space for the juice of the rhizome.

He marvelled at the quality of the glasswork and the contents of each jar as he carried them into the laboratory proper. The lids were pop-tops, lined with a flexible material that provided the absolute air tight conditions required for the preservation of dried herbs. He placed the jars on the marble bench-top that curled around the cauldron. In the cupboard beneath he found what he was looking for – a small burner with a fitted pitcher-shaped cauldron and a small lid. The corner of his mouth twitched. This other him had good sense. It would not do to utilise the larger cauldron for small remedies.

That, however, did not solve the absence of fresh ginger. Or a dab of honey to sweeten the mix and make it more palatable.

As he pondered how best to approach the acquisition of these two substances, he filled the caludron with water and set it to boil. There would be no help for it. He also required a mug. The other him did not have _quite_ _enough _good sense to keep spare mugs to serve the small remedies into.

This excursion would likely involve another altercation with Alexis, as well as the chance of running into the snake or the child. Severus ground his teeth. He would not be held trapped in a _basement_. Certainly not through concern for a child or fear of a technicoloured feather boa. His hand gripped the door handle and he opened the door.

He wasn't sure why he had held his breath, and he let it out in a rush. The hallway was empty. He walked towards the kitchen, steps silent but confident. He would not skulk in a house his other self, and now he, owned.

He paused at the kitchen door. He heard voices – two, Alexis and an unknown male. Alexis was apologising – she had forgotten they had been invited out to dinner, and she was terribly sorry, but Severus was not himself. The male commented on her pallor, concern deepening his voice. Severus' eyebrows drew down when she didn't yell, but instead thanked him for his concern. He stepped through the door and into the kitchen.

Alexis stood, smiling sadly up at the blonde man as he stood on the threshold of the back door. His thumb grazed the dark circles under one blue eye. She shook her head.

"I'm fine, really, I didn't sleep well last night," she said, shaking her head and his hand off.

Severus advanced, all those years of belittling and merciless jibes rolled into his stride as he bore down on that white haired, silken tongued _liar_ of a Malfoy.

Alexis moved so quickly. He was vaguely aware of her mouthing 'petrificus totalus', unheard over the roaring in his ears, before his tunnel vision discarded everything but the wand. She was no muggle, that was _monterillo_. Panic rose in his throat before his head hit the wall that had been metres behind him. His tunnel vision narrowed to a tiny prick of light.

His brain sluggishly turned the word '_monterillo_' over and over in his head, its meaning never diminishing. It was no wonder she did everything by hand, that wand would be more suited to playing frisbee with plates than stack them neatly! His heartbeat thrummed into his ears, and above that he heard Alexis scream. He felt more than heard Lucius rush down the hallway.

He felt a hand touch his cheek.

"I am so sorry," she murmured above him. "I am so sorry, Severus." Alexis brushed the hair away from his face with a quaking hand. "I shouldn't have done that but you looked like you were going to _murder_ Lucius!" She let out a distinctly watery sniff.

His eyes could just make out her blurry form as she leaned over him. He watched her reach and take a potion – she wouldn't let Lucius poison him, surely – and turn back to him. Lucius hovered.

"Please, I promise I will come visit soon, but for now, please leave," Alexis pleaded, craning her neck to look at the blonde man. Severus was vaguely aware of movement beyond his immediate vision.

"I will hold you to that promise, Lexie," Lucius said from the doorway. "Please, take care of yourself." The door creaked shut as he left. Alexis' face swam into view again, this time with an unstoppered vial held in her hand. He clenched his teeth shut. She clenched her jaw in response, and her eyes darkened.

"This is an anti-concussive potion my husband made," she said, forcing her voice even and soothing. His teeth remained clenched. "He made it for _Freya_, in case she ever fell over and hit her head." He responded by rolling away from her and slowly, unsteadily, getting to his feet. She raised herself with him, hands splayed and ready to catch him.

He did not need _help_. He shoved her hands away. She straightened her back and dropped her hands to her sides.

"Fine. If you want a concussion, that's absofuckinglutely fine. You can have your stupid concussion, but if you _ever_ try to hurt Lucius again, that concussion you have now will be a fucking _walk in the park_ by comparison!" She threw her hand into the air and stormed out, slamming the open vial onto the bench as she did so.

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. She had thrown him _three metres_ into a wall. With the most basic petrifying curse. He eyed the vial.

That anti-concussive potion was looking like a pretty good idea.

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	11. Interlude 1

**AN: **I have decided that throughout this story will be little chapters from Alexis' and Severus' life together, just to sweeten it up a bit more.

So this is the first interlude, because I needed a bit of a break from Sev being an ass and Lexie being tired and strained and oh so grumpy.

This is completely un-betad and fresh off my brain. I don't own diddly squat except Alexis, Freya and Terrence (AKA Terry).

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><p>Alexis was dressed to give him a heart attack. He had never seen so much leg. He had never seen so much of <em>her<em>, that dress was so tight. Her neckline revealed a tantalising amount of creamy skin. When she raised her arms and swung her hips, the hem rode up _dangerously_ high and his eyes drank in every centimetre of fresh skin uncovered.

"Look, mate," a voice interrupted. Severus' eyebrows drew down and he cast a baleful glance at James. "I'm not comfortable sitting here if you're going to just undress her with your eyes." He glared at his perspiring mug of beer, but his focus didn't last for long. His eyes roamed back to the white haired beauty on the dance floor. An exasperated sigh from his unwilling drinking buddy drew his attention again.

"I don't know why you aren't an item yet," James growled. "Cost me a couple of galleons losing that bet." One black eyebrow crept up as Severus registered the words. "I mean, what's the bloody hold up? You've been watching her like a starving cat for years, and she's had a thing for you since … for ever?" The second eyebrow raised in genuine surprise. His eyes sought those endless legs he had only just begun acquainting himself with.

James glanced at him. "You didn't know?" Severus shook his head dumbly and James laughed. "Oh whoa that's just ..." he laughed again. "Seriously?"

"Shut up, Potter," he growled, eyes glued to the movement of Alexis' hips. James really laughed this time, deep belly hiccups. "Shut _up_, Potter," he hissed insistently as Alexis' blue eyes opened and she looked their way. She touched Lily's arm and, together, they swayed back to the table where James continued to guffaw and Severus looked terribly uncomfortable.

Lily coiled around James, pressing kisses to his cheek until she reached his lips and suddenly he wasn't laughing anymore. Severus turned his face away and nearly into Alexis' cheeky grin.

"Are you a comedian now, Sev?" she asked, brushing her shoulder against his. He caught a gentle waft of her perfume – citrus and spices that tantalised his nose. He leant in ever so slightly to capture that scent again, and Alexis' eyes brightened.

"Small things amuse small minds," he purred and she flushed a delightful pink across the cheeks. Oh this was just too _good_. How had he missed the signs?

She flushed brighter and ducked her head under his intense gaze. Her hand brushed her tresses behind her ear in a subconscious gesture, exposing her sloping neck. His eyes darkened as they meandered over her lips, down her shoulders and down to her delightfully ample cleavage. But the music changed to a new song and Lily shrieked with delight and sprung back to the dance floor, dragging Alexis away with her. Severus sighed.

"Told you so," James said with a grin. Severus looked at him, a wry smile tugging the corners of his mouth and an eyebrow raised.

"You're a tosser," he replied blandly.

"You're a twit," James responded and took a long drought of his beer.

And so the two young men sat in amiable silence, truce made, and drank their beer and watched their respective ladies throw their heads back and dance in joy. This, fortunately, left Severus with plenty of time to analyse his memories for anything and everything he had missed throughout the years.

Hindsight was always 20/20. She had always had that especially bright smile reserved only for him, one she would flash across the hall at him at every meal in Hogwarts, and now the one she would greet him with. It was a fantastic smile and warmed her eyes and made a dimple in her right cheek.

During their study sessions in the library, at their little table squirreled away in a corner of the library behind shelves of books, their knees would always touch. Or their elbows. When she was cold she would press herself up against him and it had driven him _wild_ but he had taken her excuse at face value and provided all the warmth he could offer. She had fallen asleep on him on more than one occasion.

Then there was their fifth year ball. She had announced, upon meeting him before the sorting ceremony (and complimenting his ungainly nose, which was no less ungainly now than it was then), that she would take him to the first ball she could. When the fifth year ball had been announced at one particularly fine dinner, she had looked at him and smiled. On the eve of the ball he had spent hours pacing, wringing his hands and generally fretting, hoping she had remembered her words at the sorting ceremony, for she had given him no indication since! She did, she had, and she was glorious in her dress robes when she arrived at the Slytherin common room to take him to the ball.

Since graduation from Hogwarts, she would swing by Slug & Jiggers Apothecary after her work had ended with shocking regularity, inviting him out for the evening of for that weekend, or just to nip down to Florean Fortescue's or Flourish & Blotts before they went their own ways and she returned to her small one bedroom apartment in Muggle London.

And he had taken it all at face value and never looked into the reason why her eyes were so much brighter when she spoke to him, or why her dimple was so much deeper when she smiled at him.

"Oi, Sev," James yelled into his ear. He flinched from the noise, coming back to reality with a start. "We're moving on, looks like Lexie's keen to head home, you good to walk her?" Lily was a giggling red scarf about James' neck, clearly well inebriated with a look that said things were going to happen to James that he really didn't want to contemplate, thank you very much. Alexis was leaning against the tabletop beside him, her own grin showing her dimple and her eyes warmed with liquor.

"I most certainly can," Severus said, standing and extending his elbow to Alexis like a true gentleman. She giggled as she rested one hand in the crook of his elbow and brushed her body into his side. With all the aristocratic snobbishness he could possibly muster (ruined by the fact that his lips were tilted upwards in the corner), Severus tipped his head at James and Lily and turned to leave, Alexis tottering as she twisted around to wave and yell "BYE LILY, BYE JAMES, BYE LIIIIIILLLLLLYYYYY!".

She laughed as they emerged into the chilly night air, her heels tapping on the concrete unevenly. She clung to Severus' arm as she got her footing back, then straightened up, beamed up at him, and allowed him to lead her down the footpath.

"You two seemed to get along well," she commented, grin spreading nearly from ear to ear.

"He's still a tosser," Severus grumbled back, his own smile belying his complaint.

"Well that's fine, as long as you two don't start hexing each other when Lily and I want to socialise, because Lily is _married_ to him now, and Lily misses hanging out with us." He snorted. "That, and we'd already decided that if you two couldn't patch things up enough to call a truce we'd spike your drinks with ecstasy and lock you in a room together and just hope you didn't hug each other to death." That stopped him in his tracks with _horror_.

"Then I am distinctly thankful we managed to put our differences aside in order to avoid _that_." Alexis laughed.

"Oh you know we'd probably never do that to you," she said, sliding her fingers down his arm to grasp his hand, tugging him forward. He complied.

"It's the 'probably' I'm worried about," he quipped, her eyes twinkling up at him under the street lamps. She laughed again and shook out her hair, running her free hand through to untangle it.

Fortunately for both of them, Alexis' apartment was on the ground floor of a tiny converted townhouse two blocks away. She was having an interesting time keeping her balance, and he was having an equally interesting time trying to _not_ look down her top – he had a great view from up here and _no_ he was going to stop looking and keep looking forward.

"Thanks for coming out tonight, Sev," she said, so earnestly he had to look down at her. "I had a lot of fun, and I'm glad you and James sorted it out." They had stopped walking at the gate to her apartment. Her eyes were fever bright, her lips angled just right, so he dipped his head and stole a kiss.

It was chaste, a mere brush of lips against another, but it awakened a burning in his stomach. She inhaled in surprise, stealing his breath away. Her lips were _so soft_ and she was stepping in to him and _oh my_... when he could finally pull his lips away and his senses returned he had her pressed up against her front door, her arms around his neck and legs around his waist. Alexis gave a whimper of complaint before opening eyes the colour of the bottomless ocean at Cote d'Azur.

And then Severus did something entirely unexpected, something which he later claims as the 'best thing he ever did'. He leaned forward and, breath mingling, whispered "might I come inside for a cup of tea?" Alexis' eyes darkened further as she pulled him in.

"Yesss..." she purred into his lips.

He never did go home that night.

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	12. Chapter 11

**AN:** Sorry this has taken so long. This was a bit of a difficult chapter, and it shows.

My extreme thanks to _cinnamin_ and _DZAuthor_ - you two have just been fantastic.

I will, however, take a little time to explain how a person's estate works. If you understand already, skip to the story.

A deceased estate is created when a person dies, governed by their will. The executor of the estate is more often than not the person stipulated in the will. Assets are realised and dispersed as the will requests. Most importantly, the deceased person's pension and life insurance policies are paid out to the estate, which often cover their debts (mortgages, personal debts, etc.) and should provide enough for their families to live in relative comfort without the extra income generated from the living person working. There are legal impossibilities relating to creating a deceased estate while a person is alive (this is known as insurance fraud), and there are only very specific circumstances through which one can transfer an estate to another's control.

So, for completeness' sake, life insurance and pensions are there for when regular income generated from that person is not (in their retirement or when they are deceased). As Severus is neither, the Snape family must continue to rely on Severus' regular income. Withdrawing that financial support would be devastating.

And now onwards. This is completely un-betad and fresh off my brain. I don't own diddly squat except Alexis, Freya and Terry.

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><p><em>Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. She had thrown him <em>three metres _into a wall. With the most basic petrifying curse. He eyed the vial. _

_That anti-concussive potion was looking like a pretty good idea._

The anti-concussive potion worked marvellously, despite its overly sweet taste. It had been created for a child after all. He had not forgotten to search the kitchen pantry for young ginger root, and had returned to his laboratory with an ample supply from the muggle cold-cupboard, a mug, and a small jar of a very dark and viscous honey.

Everything was now simmering delightfully in the small cauldron – he would add the honey once it was poured into the oversized mug he had acquired. He set a timer spell to 15 minutes, put the lid on the cauldron, and went back to his desk. He would not try to continue his note taking until he had rid himself of the discomfort twisting his gut.

He rested his forehead against his hand. This was just … so _strange_. Lucius was not one to show concern, and certainly not affection. Even in his private life he had been a cold and uncaring bastard, and his family had suffered to make him proud. It had not appeared to be a _lover's_ concern with which he treated Alexis. This reality must have been warped in more ways than just one. He had never taken the Dark Mark, had never been the harbinger of Her death.

Alexis had defended him so aggressively, even against her 'husband'. It rang true of all he could recall of those monterillo chose: they stood toe to toe with darkness as a defender or slipped through the barrier and embraced devastation. They were fierce, most in their element in hexes and the defence against or use of black magics. They could have done with someone like her in the war. She wouldn't have changed the outcome, no, that had been an inevitability the Dark Lord had done his best to avoid, but she may have saved a life, may have saved lives.

But she hadn't been in the war he had fought. Instead she was here, playing muggle housewife. He snorted. Moterillo was utterly unsuited for housework and itty bitty charms.

The tinny ding of his timer spell went off. His tea is ready to cool now. He slowly raised himself to his feet, collecting his thoughts in each step around the central bench.

This new life, this … _timeline_, was drastically different to his own. The consequences of the actions he had done in his own timeline had been terrible. That he had not done these actions in this timeline … he just did not know where to start.

He was still himself. His parents were his own, his child development had been similar if not identical – evidenced by his bocote wand; it would not have chosen him if he had taken different motivations, different desires. He had not taken the Mark at his majority birthday, and all his actions since … they had not been done.

But Lily was still 'gone', Alexis had said. He hadn't been in the service of the Dark Lord, he hadn't given him the prophesy, and she had still died. His absence in the events did not change that.

He poured the tea into his mug, added a dollop of the honey, and returned to the desk, hands cradling the warmth. His heart felt … lighter, in a way. If he had not done it, as he had not here, she still would not be here today. The bone-crushing guilt he had lived with his life had lifted, just a bit, in the face of the inevitability of the end regardless of the means to it.

He took a sip of his tea. It was delightful. He had never before tasted a honey like this – dark, with an aftertaste that caught in your throat and lingered. It complimented the strength of the ginger and the peppermint quite well.

Malfoy was another difference. They had not been rivals within the Dark Lord's masses. The change in circumstances had led Malfoy down a different path, had changed him to this … person who cared. Just as it had to him.

He took another sip. The tea was delightfully hot.

He would keep his council. He would play his game. There was one thing he was _very_ good at. Information gathering.

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><p><em>Pretty please review with chocolate sprinkles on top!<em>


	13. Chapter 12

**AN:** This is the teeniest chapter I've written yet! I feel really bad it's so small, but I promise the future chapters will get longer.

_DZAuthor_ - I am glad your losses are less painful now, but it is still unfortunate and sad that they happened.

_Cinnamin_ - Mmm he's getting past the pissy stage, slowly but surely. I am, however, looking forward to Severus (and everyone who reads) finding out a bit more about his current predicament. It's going to be ... highly interesting. I still don't know how Severus is going to react, so we'll find out soon enough!

As always, my eternal gratitude to _Beloved-Stranger_ who puts up with my ramblings!

This is completely un-betad and fresh off my brain. I don't own diddly squat except Alexis, Freya and Terry.

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><p><em>He would keep his council. He would play his game. There was one thing he was very good at. Information gathering.<em>

A door slamming upstairs interrupted his singleminded concentration. He snarled and threw his pen down. How on earth could he concentrate with all this _noise_ going on? And he still couldn't make heads or _arse_ of these bloody notes. Just _what_ was _'eicosapentaenoic acid_'? Was this in some kind of code?

No, the man must have gone mad and started hurling letters at the parchment, creating these words that made no _sense_.

His eyebrow twitched when the screaming began. It was the child, in hysterics, over who knew what. Could he not have some _silence_? Severus raked his hair back and tugged on the ends in frustration. The child sounded like a wind up toy – the volume and pitch raising with each new pause for breath. Why could she not _shut up_!

He let out an angry growl and slammed out of his laboratory, down the hallway and into the kitchen. The screams had reached a fever pitch now, one that went right through his ears and into his brain, stabbing everywhere with little needles.

"And what," he purred, all sweet dripping venom and bared teeth, "appears to be the problem?" The child's mouth clanked shut and her eyes bugged in surprise. Alexis spun around from her kneeling position, eyes a mimicry of her child's. She had cut her hair, he realised. Her voluminous tresses were no more – the back ended at the base of her head, angled to shoulder-grazing bangs coiling about her face. What a shame, he thought idly, her hair was much nicer long.

Silence pervaded the kitchen. The child's frightened blue eyes were stuck to him. The mother went from shocked to horrified to this horrible mix of everything sad. Slowly, as though all of her joints ached, she turned, gathered the small child into her arms, and brushed past him and into the hallway. He turned and watched her. Fat tears ran down the child's face, watching him from her mother's shoulder, until the master bedroom door shut.

It didn't muffle the eventual wails of the child, or the cracked 'shh, sweetie' from her mother as she tried to comfort her.

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><p><em>Pretty please review with chocolate sprinkles on top!<em>


	14. Chapter 13

**AN:** I wrote this on the plane, I'm updating it on my iPad (which can only see TWO LINES of the document on and only deals with HTML, bah humbug!) so I must apologise in advance for any welrd spelling errors or that damn autocorrect attacking me. I think I got most of them...

_Cin_ and _DZAuthor_ - You guys feed my brain and my happy. This fic will get more awesome over the next few chapters. Keep your eyes out for the steak and cheese and the furry leg warmers.

I take no credit at all for the ute. That's all _Beloved-Stranger_ right there. Same with the furry leg warmers. When we get to that. Just ... don't drink milk and read the next chapter, folks. As always, my thanks go to her for bothering me regularly and listening to me as I go off on crazy tangents. MUCH LESS THAN THREES!

This is unbetad and freshly off my brain - STILL WARM, SEE! I don't own anything except Alexis, Freya and Terry. The ute belongs to Beloved-Stranger.

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><p><em>It didn't muffle the eventual wails of the child, or the cracked 'shh, sweetie' from her mother as she tried to comfort her. <em>

It was a more determined looking Alexis that greeted him the next evening, at about 6.00pm. Her jaw was set to a stubborn line and her eyes were steel blue. "Please, come with me, I will show you where the shower is," she said, voice as hard as her eyes. Severus had been making do with cleaning charms, but he conceded that a shower would not go amiss. Other than the physical pleasure from the scalding hot water and the feeling of being vigorously scoured, cleansing charms only did so much. So he followed her into the body of the house, through the master bedroom with it's immaculately made bed and into the ensuite.

He was beginning to think the laboratory was the least of the luxuries in this house, with the ensuite bathroom ranking a grand 'first'. The flooring was exquisitely veined Carrara, the large corner bath and generous double vanity growing out of it in the much darker, richer blue-black marble. The walls were Carrara tiling from floor to ceiling, each tile perfectly flush with it's neighbours. He had never seen such a shower before in his life! It encompassed an entire wall of the bathroom, a glass door opening to emit the user, and once inside, shower heads would pummel from all angles. There was one large shower head hanging above the central point, jets at shoulder-height, hip-height, and further, smaller shower heads angled from their wall fixtures to encase the person, or _people_ within.

He shot a side glance at Alexis. Her lips were pinched into a thin line. "Towels are here," she gestured to the towel rail where several plump towels were draped. "Shampoo and conditioner within, soaps and the like. I have laid out fresh clothing," her hand fluttered towards the vanity, indicating a neatly folded pile of clothes. Severus nodded his head in thanks and she left him to the grand shower.

It was better than he could have imagined. The shoulder-height jets were angled just so for his shoulders, and they were powerful enough to suffice as a delightfully firm massage. He couldn't stop the pleasures groan from escaping his throat as he dropped his head forward and let the wonderful water work its magic. The shampoo was an unnamed pottle of citrus scented, suspiciously violent orange goop. It worked into a strong smelling lather when he put it through his hair. On rinse, he applied a small amount of the equally un labelled orange-scented conditioner to the ends of his hair, and stepped out of the stream of water to attack himself with a soaped up loofa.

He stepped out of the shower a very clean man, and feeling all the better for it. The towel sucked the moisture off his skin more efficiently than a charm, and before he had quite caught up with himself, he was fully dressed - clean denim trousers and a tidy black polo - and running a hand through his hair. He looked into the vanity mirror. The hair was longer than he customarily kept it. A short rummage through the draws surrendered an elastic tie which he used to restrain his black locks. Hair now scraped back, minus a few strands that adamantly refused to be contained, he took stock of himself for the first time. upwards, rather than curving towards his jawline. His face was fuller, too, complimenting his sharp cheek bones and his Prince nose. Oh yes, that nose was all from the Prince side of the family - he would have gone mad before now if he'd had to stare at the bulbous nose from the Snape side. It was enough his father had tormented him alive, without having a constant reminder staring at him from the mirror every day.

His shoulders were broader. Years of spying had necessitated a certain physical strength, which he had attained more as a side effect of his lifestyle than any deliberate action on his part. But he had never been very bulky. Certainly nothing like Seniors Crabbe and Goyle. These arms were broader, not by a lot, but it was a noticeable difference. His hands didn't show the abuse he regularly experienced. They were clean, flexible and soft, nothing like his own knotted and veined claws.

A knock at the bathroom door took him away from his inspection. "Are you decent?" Alexis asked through the door. He opened his mouth to respond, but the door opened and she stepped in anyway. Severus watched her as her gaze drank him in, eyes flickering from smoldering - _you're in the body of her husband, that look was not for you_ - into a terrifying blankness. She raised her eyes to his. "We need to leave now if we're to get to the market in time. Draco has taken Freya to see a movie." She stepped back into the bedroom and turned to leave.

"Where, exactly, are we going?" Severus' voice was sharper than he had intended. Alexis's shoulders twitched.

"Albus informed me Poppy was wanting her potions sooner rather than later. We are going to the markets to pick up the ingredients you need. If I recall correctly, you have run out of quite a few things." Fair enough, in his investigations of the amply stocked cupboards there had been a few empty jars and empty rows, all neatly labelled so he knew what was missing. She bent to retrieve something from beneath the dresser in the bedroom, her very practical pale denim pants stretching delightfully across her backside. She righted and thrust a pair of black gumboots into his hands. "Bring those, wait until we're out of the house before you out them on," she had her own set in a fetchingly bright pink. He raised his eyebrow. Just _where_ was this market, if he required protective footwear for it?

He followed her back down the stairs, through the laboratory and out into the dawn and rolling green hills tickled pink with the first flush of light. She slid her feet into the gumboots before stepping onto the cobbled path that wound between the neatly packed herb gardens and through a rustic wood gate fitted into the stone wall. He followed suit, his own boots well worn in and very comfortable. This was a regular occurrence, then. He tailed her out the gate, and arond the side of the little wooden house to a corrugated iron shed which opened to reveal ... a ute. Alexis unlocked it and hopped in the drivers seat. A battered, mud splattered, white _ute_.

"Get in, we still have quite a drive," she growled out the window. His eyebrow twitched but he obliged, lip raising into a sneer as he shut the door behind him. It roared to life before settling to a menacing growl. Alexis put it into gear as he clipped his seatbelt in. He didn't expect the visceral howl it made, and he certainly didn't expect for her to quite literally floor it. One hand snapped around the handle on the door, the other clung for dear life to the seat beneath him. He pushed himself further back into the seat, feet braced on either side of the footwell, as the backside skipped out sideways and then they were off! If he ever lived to see the end of this trip, he swore, he would never again bemoan flying cars. Almost as soon as they hit the road proper, one side jutted into bush-covered cliff face, while the other side of the road disappeared into crashing ocean and rocks many metres below.

Alexis, however, was relaxed, one hand on the top of the steering wheel expertly leading it around the dipping, dancing curves in the coastal road, other hand ruffling her shortened hair. The corners of her mouth had tipped up almost imperceptibly, and the tightness about her had melted as the sun rose. Severus forced his fingers to relinquish their death grip on the upholstery and instead folded his arms across his chest.

The view, now that he could focus on that rather than _not dying_, was breathtaking. Bushes, toppled and angled trees, all rushed past as the ute devoured the road beneath its tyres. Past the flickering foliage lay the ocean in all it's glory. It was not the same ocean they had in the United Kingdom, no, this was alive and dazzling, white foaming against the rocks below and such a deep, vibrant blue he knew was mirrored in the woman's eyes next to him. Little black and white snags sunned themselves on larger outcrops of dark grey rocks, speckled with barnacles and limpets. The land plunged out into the ocean and away again in great rolling hills of bush and pasture ahead of him, deep and mysterious in the darkness of dawn shadows and in complete contrast to the clear, changing blue of the sky. As London was grey, so was this place colour. 

He cast side-long glance at Alexis. The smile was more noticeable now, with the wind turning her hair into a wild nest of white curls. Her eyes, mirrored in colour to the expansive ocean, were intently scanning the road ahead of her. Their shape was entirely exotic - tilted upward at the corners _just so_ in a way that made him dream of dark beauties in the desert. Her proud cheekbones did nothing to dispel the illusion, nor the undertone of honey in her skin. He wondered, for the first time, really, how they had met, the him of this world and her.

It was not a suitable question, given the circumstances. He turned his face to the endless ocean and put the endless ocean of her eyes from his mind.

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><p><em>Like it? REVIEW IT! Please?<em>


	15. Chapter 14

**AN:** I BLAME SKYRIM! COMPLETELY! ...it's so good... but I have quenched my addiction, and I'm back to sitting around doing nothing in the evenings! So with luck my next chapter will be a bit less awkward and a bit more meaty :D

_DZAuthor_ - The ute in question in this case is an old Toyota Hilux. They're rather famous because ... well ... Top Gear **_destroyed a building with it on top_** (this after such abuse as leaving it in the ocean overnight) and their technician, with only the most basic of tools, got it running again. So essentially a llama on wheels, just less furry and infinitely more indestructible.

_Cin_ - Ooohhh I'm looking forward to showing you what I've got planned for Sev going 'wtf, people think I'm attractive?' thing. It's a little while away, but it is there!

And onwards! This is unbetad and freshly off my brain - STILL WARM, SEE! I don't own anything except Alexis, Freya and Terry. The ute belongs to Beloved-Stranger. So does that glorious last line!

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><p><em>It was not a suitable question, given the circumstances. He turned his face to the endless ocean and put the endless ocean of her eyes out of his mind.<em>

The road eventually left the coast to climb up into the mountains and bush. They seemed to climb for ever, the ute groaning as it digested the hill climbs, then purring with joy as it devoured the descent. Somewhere along the way the road changed from tarmac to dirt and gravel, stones clanking at the undercarriage and plinking against the doors as the tyres kicked them up.

They were silent the entire thirty minute drive, until Alexis slowed the ute down and turned it down a potholed dirt path between wooden fences. A small pocket of rotund ponies meandered their way about the paddock, munching away at the grass. A goat lay moodily on one humped side of the dirt road, chewing absently.

"We're nearly there," Alexis said. He hadn't noticed before how her words caught, husky, at the back of her throat when she spoke. He remained silent as they passed into bush, interspersed with winding trails curving off the one they were on. Chickens scratched through the underbrush as they rattled along.

And then the trees receded on the right as the land dipped into a natural grass-filled bowl. Except it wasn't just filled with grass. It was filled with make-shift stalls and baskets and tables and people and colour and clothes. And was that a _donkey_? Dear lords it was a donkey-stall, with a technicoloured … person … standing beside it hawking his wares.

Alexis turned the car into a little gravel stretch on the left and threw it into park. She hopped out. "Let's make this quick. I assume you know what you need?" her eyebrow quirked at him through the open window. One of his eyebrows crept up. He wasn't entirely sure if he was insulted or complemented.

But she was already off, tromping her way down the grassy slope towards what looked like an arts and crafts stall full of dolls and little toy mice. His gumboots crunched against the gravel as he followed her, but his path was down the other end of the grass-filled bowl. Stalls covered in twigs and sprigs, another with large tufts of whiskers, claws, and what looked like dragon spines … but from what species, he couldn't judge at this distance. That was his destination.

He flicked his eyes to where Alexis stood in animated talk with a wild-haired woman of a reasonably … spherical nature. Hands were waiving, heads were bobbing, and lips were _definitely_ wagging. He snorted and turned his attention to the first stall. Great branches of a dark, twiggy variety with small, sharp looking green leaves and bright white flowers, were tied together and crammed into large woven flax baskets.

"'Ey, Sev," the man behind the counter said with a nod of his head. Severus raised his eyebrow and turned his nose to the man's wares.

"I require ginger rhizomes, young and old, evening primrose oil, Indian Tobacco..." the man's eyes widened in surprise, but years of running a stall made his hands grasp the requested items and place them into a wicker hand-basket automatically. The leathery skin around the corners of his eyes crinkled as they narrowed. Roughened and knotted hands dove into the boxes and baskets and cases, placing items into bags or boxes or directly into the hand basket as Severus continued his list. Lavender oil was the last item, a bottle of which was placed carefully between a bound clump of horsetail and a small box of myrrh gum.

He was already eyeballing the next stall with its bowls of claws, and those spines that he still couldn't speciate.

"Ey, Sev, don't forget yer manuka sprig!" Severus turned just in time to dodge the veritable _tree_ the herbalist was brandishing at him. He snarled and yanked it out of the man's hand. He'd have to deposit it in the back of the ute to continue his shopping – it was unwieldy! He huffed and stalked back up the bowl, dragging the … _manuka_ tree behind him, bristling as the voice of the man floated up to him.

"Who stuck a stick up his arse and didn't tell us about it?"

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><p><em>Like it? REVIEW IT! Please?<em>


	16. Chapter 15

**AN:** Whoaley crapolas on a broomstick! I am back, it is the new year, we are quiet at work, and I have time after work to sit down, blast bad music on repeat, and write! I am very sorry for the huge delay in updates. Now that I'm finally done with this distinctly awkward chapter, I can get on to meeting Larry and all the fun I'm going to be having with the Malfoys. Oh my excitement levels are off the charts.

_DZAuthor_ - I have devious plans for Sev and wand pointing and demands of revealing true identities. And I am now one chapter closer to it!

_Cin_ - Sev is just so much fun to torment, and I unfortunately cannot say anything more on that point without giving a way a major fun-bunny bit of my plot :D

_Raven Lockwood_ - I must apologise for my incorrect spelling of Lily, you are entirely correct. Amusingly enough, my typing is so quick my brain says 'Lily' and my fingers go 'Lilly'! And I am glad you are enjoying the idea behind this story so far :) I hope you will enjoy it more as it develops!

AND NOW, TO THE POINT! This is completely un-betad and fresh off my brain. I don't own diddly squat except Alexis, Freya, Terrence (AKA Terry) and Larry.

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><p>"<em>Who stuck a stick up his arse and didn't tell us about it?"<em>

Large piece of foliage now deposited, Severus could return to admiring the apothecary's wares more closely. His eyes twitched back to Alexis. More women had gathered to talk, many sporting the most peculiar legwarmers. She was smiling at something one of the women had said.

He turned away. The stall was calling. The man tending to this stall had a brightly coloured scarf holding his wild locks back, his beard reaching his barrelled chest in a vaguely groomed manner. He jerked his head in the direction Severus had just glanced.

"Missus looks a bit peaky, Sev, she all right?" This man's eyes were sharper. He had overheard the situation at the other stall.

"She's fine," he snapped. "I require dragon scales, two pounds." The stall keeper's eyebrow raised.

"This is New Zealand, mate, we use the measuring system that makes _sense_," the man retorted. Severus quietly seethed.

"One _kilogram_ of dragon scales," he bit out. Whatever this back-water place was, it was demented.

"What for?"

"Pardon?" Severus caught the man's eyes and glared.

"You heard me, what are you using them for?"

"Potions." Good grief it was getting hard to restrain his tongue.

"What potions, Sev? Sedatives, restoratives, transmogrifiers, what?"

"Restorative," he barked.

"Then you want these." He reached behind the stall and pulled out an ornate bowl of scales the like of which he had never seen. They were deep forest green, mottled with a deep brown, with the most incredible whorl-patterning on them. Each individual scale appeared to have been finely etched with a master carver's hand in fiercely primal patterns. "Larry's donations, now remember to use half as much of these as you would normal scales, these are a lot stronger."

With great care, the stall owner picked each scale out of the basket and placed them in a carved wooden box lined with straw. "Be sure to thank him on your way out." The lid was placed on the box, hands hovering over it for a moment, before the stall owner picked it up and handed it to Severus.

"Thank you," Severus ground out. Fortunately for both of them, that had been the only thing he had required from that stall. He was half way across the grassy bowl before remembering those strange dragon spines. He clenched his jaw. Too late to go back, now.

Alexis had detached herself from the group of women before he reached them. Well aware of their keen eyes watching his every move, and feeling distinctly disconcerted by it, he fell into step with the white haired witch.

"Did you get everything you needed?" she enquired, voice carefully light.

"Yes, thank you." He huffed, still irate at the distraction the stall keeper had caused.

"How did you find it, your first visit here?" Alexis was unsuccessfully hiding a slightly wicked grin behind a straight face.

"It was … interesting," he slowly replied. "The legwarmers the women wear are most bizarre." Alexis' steps slowed beside him and her brows furrowed.

"Legwarmers?" She looked up at him, blue eyes seeking out his.

"The … furry legwarmers." He was scowling now.

He watched, mildly concerned, as her face scrunched up and she clutched her stomach and bent over. He became uncomfortable when her peals of laughter rang out through the bowl and everyone, women, stall owners and donkey, turned to watch them. She whooped and straightened herself, wiping tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes, her dimple so deeply set in her cheek.

"Oh, Sev," she gasped, her hand reaching out to touch his arm. "Those aren't legwarmers." She giggled again, rubbing her hand across her face. "Out here people don't shave." She turned and continued walking back to their truck, shaking her head and laughing to herselv.

Then that would mean … oh. _Oh_. That's just … that _thick?_ He glanced back at the ladies, now dispersed amongst the stalls. Goodness, that really _was_ leg hair.

With a shudder, Severus sped towards the ute, carved box still clutched in his hands.

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><p><em>Come on guys, review! I needs me some lurvin!<em>


	17. Chapter 16

**AN:** W00T! I wrote another chapter! Apologies for taking so long, I'm working on a few things at the same time, as well as playing SWTOR (which is awesome). But now that I've got Larry in, I can write the next fun chapter :D

_DZAuthor_ - It's a bit difficult not to say thank you to Larry... :D

_Beloved-Stranger_ - IT HAD TO BE DONE! Once you mentioned it, it was going to happen, one way or another.

AND NOW, TO THE POINT! This is completely un-betad and fresh off my brain. I don't own diddly squat except Alexis, Freya, Terrence (AKA Terry) and Larry.

Also, translations at the end.

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><p><em>Then that would mean … oh. Oh. That's just … that thick? He glanced back at the ladies, now dispersed amongst the stalls. Goodness, that really was leg hair.<em>

_With a shudder, Severus sped towards the ute, carved box still clutched in his hands. _

Alexis turned the ute back onto the muddy road, back the way they had come. Severus was almost glad when the colourful grass bowl disappeared as they passed into bush. He was still frowning, however, as Alexis would occasionally hiccup a little giggle and glance at him.

His frown deepened when she turned the truck _into_ the trees and stopped the car in the natural gutter on the side of the road. "Hop out," she said, checking behind her before hurling her own door open and sliding out. "We're here to see Larry." His door slammed against a tree as he squeezed himself out and struggled past the foliage and onto the road. Alexis was standing beside a bridge he had not noticed on their way in. By now thoroughly puzzled, he approached until he could see down the banks and into the river below. The water would have been waist height.

"**Haere mai! Haere mai!**" a deep and ancient voice cried, alarming Severus so much he nearly tripped over himself. "**T****ē****n****ā**** k****ō****rua!**" A long, beaked head parted the foliage covering the river, followed by a ruff of spines and a long, sinewy neck. Its face was covered with tiny scales, nearly identical to those Severus had received in the box, but with more lustre, more life. His eyes, for surely with that voice it was a he, were the most dazzling he had beheld on a beast – blues and greens and purples in vibrant sworls about slit pupils.

He stopped on the bank and rested his front paws on the bank of the river, raising his upper body out of the water and displaying the brilliant swirls of etched scales on his shoulders, the fainter green of his underbelly, and the fierce claws at the end of each toe.

"Tēnā koe, Larry!" Alexis smiled as his beak raised to her head height – even his beak was etched, and those spines … those were the spines he had admired at the stall. They departed his cheeks a rich brown mottled green to match the scales, slowly paling to a pearly sheen, the etchings on the spines trailing off with the colour. She reached forwards and cupped his giant cheeks, closing her eyes as he tilted his head down and touched his forehead, oh so gently, to her forehead and nose.

"**T****ē****n****ā koe, not-Severus****.**" The voice was all encompassing, felt through his bones as much as heard through his ears. Not wanting to risk offence, he bowed deeply. The rumbling of laughter crept up through his feet, up his legs, until even his head pulsed with the beast's amusement. "**You are at least courteous, not-Severu, commendable.**"

"How do you know?" Alexis asked, face pale and worried.

"**I knew it as he held my scales, as I know all those who receive this gift,**" Larry explained, his bright eyes examining him with a gaze that spoke of seeing more than what was there. "**Do not forget, tamaiti, that he would not have passed my bridge had he been a threat to any of my tamariki within.**" His voice was stern, like a father would use when reprimanding his child. Alexis dipped her head and dropped her eyes.

"Of course, Larry," she said meekly.

"**You have great hinap****ō****uri within you, tamaiti,**" the great beast said, turning his attention once more to Severus. "**But no kino in your heart, and so you have passed into my lands and received my gift.**"

Severus bowed deeply again. "It is a gift I thank you for," he said, looking directly into one of the beast's eyes and he knew those otherworldly eyes saw past the physical world and into the next. The things those eyes must have seen...

"**I will take my leave of you now, ****ā kōrua**** tamaiti waits for you te w****ā kāinga.**" Larry bowed his head to receive Alexis' searching hand and rumbled comfortingly as her fingers scratched his forehead between his eyes. Severus was surprised to find warmth trickling up his arms and an odd lightness creep into his heart as his body was met with the rumbling vibrations. It wasn't magic, and the feeling wasn't … forced. It felt … strange, like he had just thrown off an over-stuffed duvet that had been weighing on him.

"**Haere rā, tamaiti, haere rā,**" he boomed, raising himself to his full height, towering over Severus by an easy metre.

"E noho rā, Larry," Alexis said, tucking her arm into Severus' elbow and guiding him away. Severus watched, amased, as Larry arched up and back and dove into the river without so much as a ripple. Alexis tugged on his arm again – he had stopped in surprise – and he complied. "And now you've met Larry the taniwha," she said with a faintly nervous giggle.

"What, exactly, is a taniwha?" Severus enquired, looking down at the pale-haired woman beside him.

"Most taniwha are guardians of their people, a kaitiaki," she began. "They're a bit like water dragons just very, very ancient. Larry has been here since long before people lived here and will remain long after we have left." They had reached the ute, and Alexis let her hand drop away from his elbow. He hadn't realised she'd still been holding it. Severus squeezed past the push to get into the passenger side door once more, his wellington boots squelching in the mud.

No sooner had he slammed the door shut than Alexis had revved the engine and they were off again, thundering over the bridge and out.

**Care for her, tamaiti, she has māhorirohi for you if you let her,** Larry's voice rumbled into his brain. Surprised, he whipped his head around to stare at the river banks. He could have sworn he saw a brown and blue and green tail wave and disappear.

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><p><em>Come on guys, review! I needs me some lurvin!<em>

Translations:

**Haere mai** - welcome.

**T****ē****n****ā**** k****ō****rua** - hello (two or more people).

**T****ē****n****ā koe** - hello (one person).

**Tamaiti** - child.

**Tamariki** - children.

**Hinap****ō****uri** - darkness, sadness.

**Kino** - evil.

**Ā**** kōrua**** tamaiti** - your child.

**Te w****ā kāinga** - at home.

**Haere rā** - farewell (said to a person leaving).

**E noho rā** - farewell (said to a person staying).

**Kaitiaki** - guardian/protector.

**Māhorirohi** - strength.


	18. Chapter 17

**AN:** I am alive! It has been a fantastic and highly productive couple of months that have passed between updates. I got my first spider bite in Australia, had a lot of fun chasing horses around and taking photos, moved into a different apartment, and organised part of our wedding. And as Diablo 3 comes out next week, I figured I'd better get a chapter out before my entire world revolves around that game. Because it will happen. And I will disappear for another few months. But I'm finally getting to the more interesting bits of this story.

_DZAuthor_ - you pretty much hit the nail on the head, on ALL counts. How these things happen is only known by Alexis and Freya and Severus right now. I'll find out when I get to it!

As always, my eternal gratitude to _Beloved-Stranger_ who reminds me what it's like to be inspired to write.

Also, for the only good picture I've put up online of Alexis and Sev - while this is from my OTHER other Lex/Sev world, it's still relevant - check out **www (dot) binka4wing (dot) deviantart (dot) com/gallery/#/d45m9ie**

AND NOW, TO THE POINT! This is completely un-betad and fresh off my brain. I don't own diddly squat except Alexis, Freya, Terrence (AKA Terry) and Larry.

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><p><em><strong>Care for her, tamaiti, she has māhorirohi for you if you let her,<strong> Larry's voice rumbled into his brain. Surprised, he whipped his head around to stare at the river banks. He could have sworn he saw a brown and blue and green tail wave and disappear._

The next morning, at a bright and early 7.00am, Alexis guided herself down the stairs and into the potions laboratory, a tray of delicious smelling breakfast and that delightful tea in her hands. Severus watched her place the tray on the central bench beneath lidded eyes, hands clasped about more convoluted notes.

She deposited the tray of food – light and fluffy scrambled eggs on toast, with breakfast sausages, bacon, fried tomato and a smattering of baked beans, and a tea pot of that incredibly delicious tea – turned around, and left. Severus watched her pink slippers disappear out the door.

Not long after he began to tuck into his breakfast, he heard the little patter of the child's feet and the clink of their own breakfast. Their conversation was quiet and cheerful as they ate. He was just beginning to pour his tea when the clinking stopped and a chair scraped back. The child pattered back down the hall in a gait that sounded like a skipping run, Alexis' footsteps soon following.

A sprinkle of brown sugar, stirred in to ensure the crystals dissolved properly, and the tea was perfect, if a bit too hot to drink right now. He set it to one side and returned to the notes and his own notepad.

It was some time later that he was interrupted by the door swinging open. "Severus," Alexis called from the hallway. He glanced up.

She stood, one hand clutching her child's, the other holding a pink backpack and a pair of heels. Her skirt was a delightful cream, a band of darker brown around the waving edges at her stockinged knees – nude stockings, he noted. The waist was high and clipped in with a belt. A floating white blouse tucked in at her waistline, and over her shoulder draped a matching jacket. "Severus, I'm going to drop Freya off at school and then I have a meeting with my agent for the morning. I'll be back at about four, once I've picked Freya up from school again. There's a wrapped up sandwich in the fridge for lunch, and the tea is in the cupboard to the right of the fridge. And please don't answer the door if anyone knocks." He nodded.

The child peered down the stairs, looking hopefully at him from under her pink beanie. "Daddy, come give me bye kiss!" she demanded. Alexis took one last glance down the stairs and pulled her child away.

"Not now, sweetie, Daddy's busy," she said quietly.

"But I want byebye kiss!" the child cried, voice rising immediately into hysteria. The front door opened and shut, muting the screaming and whatever response Alexis might have had.

And then there was peace and quiet. With a satisfied sigh, Severus raised the cup of now-cooled tea to his lips and took a sip, returning to his notes with relish.

A few hours later, Severus placed the notes he was reading onto the bench and rolled his neck and shoulders back. Not only was his teapot empty, but so was his stomach. Well, there was no helping it.

Collecting the remnants of breakfast and his teapot, he juggled the tray up the stairs and into the kitchen, placing it onto the kitchen bench. Alexis had said there was a sandwich in the … what was it … _freej_? Some strange language it was, but she must have meant the muggle cold-cupboard. He opened it and there, right in the middle of one of the shelves, was a sandwich shaped wrapped item. Next to hunt for was the tea, which he did indeed find in the cupboard to the right of the cold-cupboard.

Opening the small tin, he sniffed in deeply. Goodness that smelled good. He tipped the teapot out, gave it a quick rinse with the tap water and refilled it. He placed it back on the bench and placed a quick heating charm on it. It would take a small amount of time, but the water within would get to just below boiling.

In the interim, and now that there was no one to bump into, a quick reconnaissance mission was in order.

The dining room and kitchen were one large room – windows in the dining area revealed an overcast day outside. The back door was through the kitchen, and the lounge ran off the dining room area. One wall of the lounge was bay windows, facing out onto a wood deck and a garden area beyond. This garden was _not_ a functional one, merely there for a grassy area. Rampant hedges lined the barrier between this garden and the next. A raised flower bed was pushed up against one side of the garden, smothered in catnip and lavender.

Movement on one of the couches caused him to jump in surprise, and move back further when one of the _pillows_ unwrapped itself into a very large, very fluffy _cat_. It rolled its blue eyes at him and meowed, jumping to the floor and flouncing out the door. He watched it go – it was _huge!_ It would be an easy half metre in height to the shoulder, and _much_ longer, not to mention its tail! He had never been particularly fond of cats, now he was even more convinced against them.

A tingle crept across the base of his neck and a wand pressed into it. This body did not have the heightened senses of his, nor the reflexes.

"Hello, old friend," Lucius rumbled. "Please keep your hands well away from your sides, and do not so much as _twitch_." Ah, so this Severus could do wandless magic, but could he … "that includes your eyes. Close them." Bugger. Slowly, so as not to alarm the wizard with the wand pressed against his spine, he spread his arms and shut his eyes. He felt the wand remove itself from its hole in his neck, and heard Lucius move around to his front. The wand would still be fixed on him.

"Let us first establish who you are," Lucius purred. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

"I am Severus Snape," he bit out. Lucius snorted.

"And I'm the Queen of England," he barked. "Who are you?"

"I am Severus Snape," he replied coolly.

"Don't test me, I have no qualms about using an Unforgivable on you."

"I would strongly recommend against that," Severus growled. He flicked himself to one side, dropping his shoulder and charging forwards. He had his wand out and pressed against Lucius' gut as Lucius pressed his own against his neck. Severus twisted his head to look up and flashed him a fierce grin.

"Well played. I see you are able to use his wand," Lucius commented blandly, as though over a cuppa.

"Don't be daft, Malfoy. You know full well this wand will work for no one else." The white-haired man was the first to move, extracting his wand and himself and dropping his hands to his sides. Severus followed suit, his customary sneer tugging at his lips.

"Then explain to me why you feel nothing like him," Lucius demanded, back straight and arrogant as ever. His eyes were hard – much harder than the Lucius of his knowledge.

"Because I am not." One elegantly pale eyebrow quirked upwards. There was a brief pause.

"Why don't we discuss this over a cup of tea, like the civilised gentlemen we are?" Lucius asked smoothly, his body and face carefully bland and polite. Severus bowed his head respectfully and passed by him and into the kitchen, where his teapot now contained barely boiling water.

He returned moments later with the tray laden down with the teapot, two cups on saucers, a small pitcher of cream (Lucius preferred his tea with cream, rather than milk) and the elegant container of raw sugar. A couple of spoons completed the ensemble, which he placed on the coffee table.

The tea was poured and prepared, this Lucius liked his tea with cream as well, and then they settled across from one another, both deceptively relaxed.

"So tell me," Lucius began after some time of silently sizing him up over the brim of his tea cup. "How do you come to be Severus Snape but not?" Severus placed his cup and saucer on the coffee table and leaned forwards. He looked his arch-nemesis in the eye – the man who was so similar but so different to the lying bastard he had spent all those years pandering to.

"I died in a war, on the shrieking shack floor, and woke up here."

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	19. Chapter 18

**AN: **This chapter didn't want to come out, at all. It took a lot of bullying for this one to be written down, but now that this is done I can move on to the rest of the story.

I haven't given up on this story! I'm just 3 1/2 weeks off my wedding, and 2 1/2 months off quitting my job to do full time uni! Life has been very busy, and inspiration has been very scarce!

_DZAuthor_ - Thank you for your delightful review! I can't wait to share the rest of this story with you (and all of my readers), because I've already got it sort of planned out but the ending is **_epic_ **and awesome.

As always, my greatest thanks to Beloved-Stranger who tolerates my disappearing off the face of the earth for yonks (and I technically am still off the side of the earth, just reaching over the brim to type frantically!).

I do not own anything you recognise. And now, on with the show! This is fresh-off-my-brain and un-beta'd.

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><p>"<em>I died in a war, on the shrieking shack floor, and woke up here."<em>

Lucius' eyes blanked and a muscle in his jaw twitched. It took a full thirty seconds for his cold blue eyes to refocus. His hands trembled near imperceptibly as he returned the cup and saucer to the table.

"I would have," the blonde man said flatly. "If he hadn't brewed the anti-venom. If Alexis hadn't shoved that and a bezoar down my throat." He sighed and rested his hands, palms upward, upon his thighs. Severus remained very still. There was no tightening of muscles to indicate his recognition of the reason for the high-necked collar Lucius wore. Not even his heart rate betrayed him.

There was silence for some time as they both sat in quiet contemplation of their tea, while each observing the other for tell-tale twitches. It was a game Severus was well familiar with, but with a player he was not. Eventually, Lucius gave up admiring the milky brown liquid in his cup and turned his sharp gaze on Severus' face.

"It happened to you, but she wasn't there." It was not a question. He acknowledged it with the barest dip of his head. "Why were you there?"

He snorted. At Lucius' cocked eyebrow a humourless grin spread across his face. "I have taken my secrets to the grave. I suppose a spy has no greater wish in life than to do just that." The blonde's own face mirrored his.

"You and Alexis were the only people to know, excepting Albus. For Narcissa, and Draco," Lucius explained. His hands remained very still. The subtle notifications of stress – a lifting of the ears, a minute tightening around the nostrils – were all absent. This man alike but unlike his old comrade was _good_ at this, Severus realised. Very good.

"So tell me, old friend," he said and leaned forwards, perching his elbows on his knees and keeping his keen dark eyes on Lucius' face. "Why did our illustrious master desire your death?"

It was Lucius' turn to snort. "The same reason I imagine he had you killed." The blonde gave a chuffing laugh and shook his head, real amusement leaking back into his eyes. "He is dead, if you were concerned about that. The Boy Who Lived did what he did best: lived while he died. This was all of two months past." The man sat back into the sofa, body oozing relaxation, a grin spreading across his face as though something amused him.

Something probably did. Severus was struck with the realisation that he did not know what truly made this man _tick_. He had known Lucius inside out, upside down and the wrong way round and could play him like a master violinist. This man across from him was a completely unknown quantity. Everything in this life was.

He supposed that came from being dumped into the middle of someone else's life.

"When did you die?" Lucius asked, serious once more.

"Four days ago, second of May," he replied sharply. Contemplating his death, or the events leading up to it, was not something he wished to do at this point in time.

"Our war was two months and four days ago on the second of March. I assume you also won the war?"

"I died during it, I could hardly tell you if Potter managed to kill himself or kiss Nagini," he snarled. "The horocruxes, who found the ring?"

"I did. Who found yours?"

"Albus did. I see you remain unscathed from your close encounter, I assume you did not attempt to put it on?"

"Oh it begged me. I clearly have more willpower than your Albus did. Who found the cup?"

"I believe Potter and co did." Severus sat back into the cushions and crossed one knee over the other.

"Ah, did they ever tell you about the burning, multiplying coins?" He shook his head.

"They did not. Were you the lucky one to find the cup?"

Lucius nodded. "Your burn salve – sorry, his burn salve – worked fantastically on those burns. Painful, though, especially when it's a tidal wave of coins."

"How did Lily die?" It was asked as nonchalantly as he could make it.

"Killed by our illustrious master because of a prophesy." His eyes slipped shut. Even without him there to overhear, someone had, and she was dead because of it. It happened irrespective of his participation. "You know who heard the prophesy, don't you?" Lucius' voice was overly eager.

"It was me." Severus let out the breath he had been holding and opened his eyes. They were carefully blank of the disgust he held himself in. Lucius' eyebrows shot up.

"You? _You_ took the prophesy back to our master? But why did you turn coat?" Severus growled low in his throat and Lucius rocked back, surprised once more. "Shit, you loved her, didn't you?" This served to increase his glower at the blonde. "I don't need to be a legilimens to read you, old man." Lucius sat forwards and rested his elbows on his knees.

"Why did _you_ turn coat?" Severus ground out.

"I overheard the prophesy, and when they were killed, well, Draco was still very young, almost the same age in fact. I had a moment of weakness, but I cannot say I regret my decision in the end." He was quiet for a time, eyes seeking out hidden depths in his tea cup. "Do you regret it?"

Severus found he couldn't answer. The things he had done for the cause, the Order, the things he had done while spying … they made him sick. He had killed, he had butchered, he had poisoned and he had tortured. There was no 'back seat' for a Death Eater, nowhere he could hide. He had mended murderers and rapists of the foulest kind with his tonics. He had destroyed for the rebirth.

A rebirth he would never see, and a death he did not attain.

Lucius stood. "I suggest you not speak to Alexis about the war. It was a very difficult time for her and her husband." He left, and Severus was alone with his brain. "Thank you for the tea!" he shouted from the back door, just before it snapped shut.

Did he regret his decision to take another master, to work for the Order?

_Yes_, a small, selfish part of his brain cried.

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